A scene showing both a variety of shipping off Amsterdam, and activity ashore. In between a states yacht on the left and a larger merchant ship on the right are several smalschips with their patchwork of sails. A barge is moored alongside on the right on the far side of the jetty with leeboard visible. One man on deck stops to chat to a man leaning on the jetty. A number of people are actively involved loading and offloading from the number of small boats clustered around. A woman in a broad brimmed hat is also visible on the jetty. In the foreground are more figures as well as a dog. The man on the far left attends to his nets. The buildings of Amsterdam are recognisable on the far right, including the Tower of Montalban and the Oude Kerk.

The artist understood the technicalities of the shipping he painted. He was also a keen observer of human activity and condition. The painting is signed ‘A. Storck’ over the door of the hut in the foreground on the left and since this presumably belongs to the fisherman shown just to its right he may in part be a self-portrait of the artist. The picture is from the Macpherson Collection.